The Predator
The Predator is the fifth episode in the second season of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Main Characters The main characters featured in this episode are: *Kwame *Wheeler *Linka *Gi *Ma-Ti *Gaia *Captain Planet *Argos Bleak Plot Synopsis Argos Bleak is hunting sharks near a coastal town and it's up to the Planeteers to stop him. When dangerous jellyfish overpopulate due to the sharks being destroyed, the town learns the importance of natural balance. Episode Summary Gi and Ma-Ti are scuba-diving when a shark starts following Ma-Ti. In a panic, he swims to the surface, but Gi assures him that it is a harmless basking shark. Later, Ma-Ti and Gi are having breakfast when Gi brings up the shark incident. A waitress overhears their conversation and misinterprets it. Before long, panic spreads, and the mayor hires Argos Bleak to kill all the sharks. Gi and Ma-Ti try to stop the mayor, telling him sharks have an important role in protecting the enviroment, but he doesn't listen, so they are forced to sneak aboard Bleak's boat. At Hope Island, Wheeler is trying out his new windsurfer. Suddenly, the wind shifts violently, knocking him off and into the sea! Gaia then summons him to the Crystal Chamber where she shows Wheeler, Kwame, and Linka what Bleak is doing. When Bleak is shown severing a goblin sharks fin, Kwame is enraged while a repulsed Linka closes her eyes and looks away. Kwame, Wheeler, and Linka set off with Wheeler grabbing his windsurfer in case he gets some free time. Wheeler's windsurfer proves useful when Bleak sinks the Eco-Sub, and he, Kwame, and Linka use it to sail to shore. However, along the way, Kwame is stung by a jellyfish, and there is a swarm headed towards the beach. Linka is forced to use her ring to speed up the trip. Upon reaching the shore, Wheeler and Linka tell the mayor of the jellyfish, and he closes the beach. When a local tells the mayor she saw Gi and Ma-Ti stowaway on Argos Bleak's boat, Kwame realizes they are in trouble. Gi and Ma-Ti have been caught by Bleak, who plans to feed them to a blue shark, a maneater. From on board the mayor's boat, Wheeler is able to free Gi and Ma-Ti, and Ma-Ti uses his ring to send the shark away. Meanwhile, Bleak harpoons a basking shark, only for Wheeler to burn the rope, causing Bleak to lose his catch. The Planeteers then summon Captain Planet, who gets splattered with oil by Bleak. The wounded basking shark rams Bleak's boat, knocking both Bleak and Captain Planet into the ocean. Bleak panics and swims for his life as the blue shark comes after him. Captain Planet, obviously viewing being eaten by a shark as too good a fate for Bleak, saves him. The mayor, now aware of the important role that sharks play in the ecosystem, fires Bleak, and Captain Planet returns to the Planeteers' rings. Ma-Ti uses his ring to soothe the basking shark while Gi removes the harpoon from its fin and tells it to live in peace. Planeteer Alerts None yet. Significant Moments and Facts *Wheeler shows up at the Crystal Chamber soaked, from falling off his windsurfer, and still in his trunks. After Gaia shows the Planeteers what Bleak is up to and Linka turns away, Wheeler is suddenly dry and dressed in his usual Planeteer outfit. The next time we see him, he is, once again, back in his trunks. *Linka says "da", which is Russian for "yes". *Wheeler's new windsurfer apparently gets stolen, after he leaves it on the beach. This is the last episodes where Wheeler uses it or windsurfs at all. *Ma-Ti claims that the shark that pursued him was 40 feet long. Someone else inflates this figure to 60 feet. Actually, a basking shark is only about 20 feet long; a whale shark, 30 feet. *Sharks don't normally eat jellyfish; the creature that does so is the leatherback sea turtle, which is also endangered due to overhunting. Quotes *'Linka:' Wheeler, you're all wet, as usual. Wheeler: This better be good. Gaia: I'm afraid it's very bad. (she points at Planet Vision screen and an image appears) Argos Bleak is harpooning everything in sight that has a dorsal fin. That nurse shark is not a man-eater. It's afraid of people. Linka: (seeing the corpses of sharks hanging on the side of Bleak's boat) Apparently with good reason. Gaia: Those sharks weren't dangerous, and they don't stand a chance against Bleak's hunting gear. Wheeler: (seeing a shark munching on some jellyfish) That ugly sucker has gotta be a maneater. Gaia: The goblin shark won't win any beauty contests, but it eats only small animals. Bleak's harpoon suddenly pierces the shark's tail. Linka: Oh, no! Bleak has caught it! (Bleak is shown cutting off the sharks fin, prompting Linka to shut her eyes and turn her head away) This is awful. Kwame: That butcher! What is he doing that for? Bleak cuts the rope and the finless shark drops into the ocean. Gaia: Shark fin soup brings a high price. But without its fin, a shark cannot swim. Wheeler: Looks like he's drowning. Gaia: It is. Sharks breathe by moving water through their gills. When they stop swimming, they die. Humans are a much greater threat to sharks than sharks are to humans. Planeteers, you must stop Bleak's pointless butchery. Wheeler: Alright, Gaia. But it feels kinda weird trying to save some bloodthirsty shark. Gaia: Bleak is bloodthirsty. A shark is just a predator like a wolf or a tiger. It keeps other animals from overpopulating. If you had ever been stung by a stingray, you might wish there were more sharks. Wheeler: Okay. I say we find Gi and Ma-Ti and stop Bleak. Linka: Da! Kwame: Absolutely, let's go! *''Kwame saves some children from jellyfish.'' Mayor: Thank you, but where did those jellyfish come from? Kwame: They were always there, but the sharks kept their numbers in check. Linka: That is the danger of upsetting natures balance. Mayor: That's what that girl and boy said. They tried to warn us, but we wouldn't listen. Linka: That sounds like Gi and Ma-Ti. Where are they now? Woman: Excuse me Mayor, I saw those two stowaway on that shark hunters hydrofoil. Kwame: Then they are in great danger. Mayor: I've got a sailboat. Linka: And I have the Wind the fill your sails. *'Argos Bleak:' (after Captain Planet saves him from the blue shark) Aren't you going to kill that predatory monster? Captain Planet: I'm letting you live, so why don't you live and let live? Planeteers: Go Planet! Mayor: (to Argos) Thanks to you, we now have to worry about jellyfish! You're fired, Bleak! Captain Planet: Mr. Mayor, the best way to protect your environment is to not mess with it in the first place. Trivia *This is the second Captain Planet episode that shows blood. In this case, every single shark getting its fin severed. Gallery Add images here. Category:Season 2 Category:Episodes